


This Was Supposed to Be Easy

by DualWieldingCousland (DualWieldingMama)



Series: When Life Gives You a Blight ... [6]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 08:24:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5736577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DualWieldingMama/pseuds/DualWieldingCousland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regan and her party have managed to reach Redcliff.  Unfortunately, things have not gone exactly to plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Was Supposed to Be Easy

**Author's Note:**

> (Note – a little canon divergence here. Since the demon possessing Connor was a desire demon, and she certainly knew someone new was trying to fight off her army of undead, I can’t help but think she’d (it? We’re going with “she” for now, because … well, let’s face it; that’s what the demon looks like in game. ) try to use a little power to … influence their dreams. That’s one of the ways the undead army keeps getting replenished – some villagers are outright killed in the fighting. Others are … enticed out of their homes and either killed by roving undead or by the demon herself. So, yeah … that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it, for now).

Maker’s ass, what a mess.  Coming to Redcliff was _supposed_ to be a quick, easy thing.  They were just going to replenish their supplies … maybe rest for a day or two, and convince Arl Eamon to aide the Wardens in the blight … and maybe figure out what to do about the fact that Loghain _betrayed_ the king and left him to die.  That’s what was _supposed_ to happen.  

_Regan sighed as she dragged a hand over her face, trying not to let on how annoyed she was that the_ simple _plan had just been blown out of the water.  She, Jasper, and Alistair were currently following behind a very scared townsperson on their way to Redcliff’s chantry.  Leliana had broken off to go assist some of the townspeople they’d passed gather what crops they could before the sun went down again.  Morrigan had opted to remain behind, ostensibly to work on making more poultices.  Given the apparent unrest going on in Redcliff, it seemed unlikely that the general store would have any to sell.  The dwarves who had attached themselves to the small band would be next to useless at the moment, so they opted to remain behind and tend to the little things around the camp.  Sten, was therefore designated as a guard for the camp.  Regan couldn’t decide if he was amused by this or not; he never seemed to smile._

_“So let me get this straight … you’ve got dead things roaming the village at night?”_

_“Aye, m’lady.  Every night for the past three days.  An’ the number gets larger every night, what with the ones they manage to kill or take from the village and farms.”  He motioned for them to keep following; they were near the chantry.  “Bann Teagan can explain more.”_

_Alistair looked over at the woman with him and frowned.  She didn’t seem terribly concerned about the man’s story.  Of course, it_ did _sound utterly unbelievable, but … there were definite signs of something unusual going on.  The pyres they passed on the way down the trail were evidence enough of this.  Teagan being here, rather than his own Rainesfere, was also odd though the rumors of Eamon being ill could explain that.  “Does anyone know what might have started it?”_

_“You’ll hafta ask Bann Teagan.  None of the villagers know.  We just know we’re afraid to sleep.”_

_Regan shoved open the chantry door and the small group followed the man down the aisle.  She couldn’t help but feel for the dozens of men, women, and children huddled in small groups; some of the older children tried to calm the younger ones, though many were still quietly crying.  Standing in the middle of a small cluster of knights stood a man she recognized instantly; he hadn’t changed much since her last birthday celebration.  Maker, had it been almost a year?  Would he even recognize her now?  She barely recognized herself some days.  And what about Alistair?  If Eamon raised him, surely Teagan would have seen him, right?_

_Her attention returned to the group just in time to hear the townsperson … Thomas, it turned out … telling the bann why he’d escorted three strangers into the chantry._

_“Well done, Thomas.”  Teagan turned to face the group, obviously not recognizing any of them.  “Greetings; my name is Teagan, Bann of Rainesfere, brother to the Arl of Redcl-“_

_“I remember you, Bann Teagan.”  Alistair interrupted, a little surprised that he hadn’t been recognized.  “Though, the last time we met … I was a lot younger, and … well, and covered in mud.”  He smiled sheepishly when he heard_ her _light giggle behind him, lifting a hand to rub the back of his head.  Maker’s breath, he loved hearing that; it did funny things to his insides that he never wanted to stop._

_“Covered … in mud?”  Teagan narrowed his eyes, looking the young man over carefully.  He had to think back, but the lad_ did _look quite familiar ….  Then it hit him.  “Alistair?  Is that …?”  He reached out to touch the younger man’s face, arm … anything solid to reassure himself.  “It is you, isn’t it?  You’re … you’re alive …_ and _a grey warden?”  He noticed the gryphon insignia on Alistair’s shield with surprise.  Hadn’t the boy been sent to the templars?_

_Regan couldn’t help but laugh as Alistair was caught up in a sudden embrace from his uncle, doubly so when Teagan made a face at the smell of dried blood on the younger man’s armor.  They hadn’t_ really _had a chance to clean up since their last skirmish along the road.  She was certain her armor didn’t smell much better, really.  Her laughter drew the bann’s attention, causing Jasper to less-than-discretely move closer to her._

_“And you are a grey warden as well?”  He looked her over, not really seeing anything that outright screamed ‘warden’, though she was more heavily armored that most women he’d known.  Well, except for ….  No, she couldn’t be.  “Is it possible we have met before?  You seem … familiar to me.”  He pursed his lips, trying to determine just why this young woman looked so blasted familiar._

_Her smile grew warm … welcoming.  She thought she could make out a soft growl coming from somewhere next to her … Jasper the more likely source.  “I believe the last time we saw each other, Teagan,” she began, dropping his title as she so often did growing up, “you honored me with a dance in my father’s castle.”  She tilted her head and ran fingers through her hair, watching the older man’s face for sign of recognition.  “I believe you told me it was in lieu of a name day gift?”_

_“Lady Cousland?_ Regan _?  Is that … is that really you?”  Teagan was momentarily stunned.  He wasn’t sure which was more surprising: that he_ hadn’t _recognized her, or that she’d changed so much in just under a year.  For once, he couldn’t decide what the proper response should be: should he simply bow … or sweep her into a hug?  He settled a bow, reaching out to take her hand and lift it to his lips.  “It’s a pleasure to see you again, my lady; though, I wish it were under better circumstances.”_

_Alistair thought the growl he heard was his own until he looked down and saw Jasper slowly muscling his way between the two.  He did his best to remain calm, but for reasons he could not fathom, he did_ not _like seeing her smile like that at Teagan.  Nor did he particularly like seeing Teagan flirt with her._

_“It is a pleasure to see you too, Teagan.”  Regan’s smile faltered only slightly when she felt Jasper move.  She reached down to calm the mabari, running her fingertips along his head softly.  “My mother would haunt me forever if I did not ask; did you ever settle down?”_

_“Oh … you mean am I married?”_

_“No, I’ve … never had the pleasure.  If I did, I’d be lucky to find a woman as lovely as you.”_

_“Flatterer.”  Regan laughed, shaking her head.  “You always did have a way with words, Teagan.”_

_“If I may be so bold, my lady,” Teagan asked, seemingly oblivious to his nephew’s discomfort … and Jasper’s distaste for the whole conversation, “what about you?  Did your mother ever succeed in marrying you off to some lucky nobleman?”  He reached forward, ran his fingers along her cheek, brushing little tendrils of hair away from her face._

_She shook her head and smiled sadly.  “No.  I’m afraid my mother died before she could carry out what had to be her life’s quest.  Though, I see now why she mentioned_ you _with such enthusiasm.”  She stepped closer, hands sliding along his arms, expression shift invitingly as his smile grew hungry._

_“Is that so, my lady?”  Teagan started to take her in his arms, pull her close.  His breath tickled her skin as he leaned in …._

_Alistair couldn’t stand it any longer.  He fought the urge to just … shove Teagan away, instead clearing his throat and simply resting a hand on her shoulder.  “May I have a word with you …_ please _?”  His voice was tight … strained as he looked at her._

_She smiled gracefully at Teagan and slipped free from his arms to take a step over to Alistair.  “Yes, Alistair?”_

_Without a word, he reached up, hands coming to rest gingerly on her cheeks.  Gently, he angled her head slightly, leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.  Once … twice … three and four times he ghosted passes across her lips before claiming her mouth with a heated kiss.  He could feel Teagan watching … staring … but didn’t care.  One hand dropped to rest at the small of her back, pulling her against him as her arms started to move._

_She brought her hands up … not to push him away, but to somehow pull him closer.  Arms wrapped around his neck, fingers gripped the short hair at the back of his head.  She did her best to move closer, let her body nearly melt against his.  A leg came up, wrapped around his … clinging.  She felt his other hand move to squeeze her thigh before slipping between them, fingertips ghosting over …._

Regan sat up with a gasp, eyes wide as she looked around frantically.  Her heart was racing and she struggled to slow her breathing to an acceptable level while she worked on getting her bearings.  She was still in the small antechamber of the chantry.  Jasper was curled up beside her, and she could see Alistair on the other side of her mabari.  Her skin grew warm as her eyes fell on his lips.  Maker, what kind of dream was that?  Why was she thinking about him … about _that_ … _now_?  What time was it?

Alistair stirred a few seconds after, shooting up in a similar manner, eyes darting around the room until they locked on hers.  His cheeks were warm, his breath coming in short bursts as he tried to shake the … was that a dream?  Maker, it had felt so … _real_.  “Are … are you alright?” he asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.  He had no idea how long she’d been awake, or even why she was, but she looked almost as flustered as he felt.  Surely it wasn’t their turn to take over the watch, was it?  And … were _her_ cheeks red?  Maker, he needed to get a grip.  “I thought I heard a … a ….”

“I … um, yes.  I … I’m fine.”  She dragged a hand over her face and dug her fingers into her eyes.  “It was … just … just um, a … a bad dream.  You?”  When he nodded, looking a little sheepish, she stood and headed for the door.  They had been fighting since dusk, with undead coming in a steady stream until sometime past midnight.  After that, the assaults dwindled to nearly a trickle, so the group had split up to allow some to get rest while the rest stood watch.  There was at least another hour to go before they were _supposed_ to switch shifts, but she wasn’t about to try to sleep again … tempting as that dream might be.  “Might as well take over for the others … let them sleep a bit more before the sun comes up.”  

     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     

“I can’t believe he had a way into the castle this whole time and didn’t trust us … me … _you_ … to help the village if we’d known.”  Regan couldn’t help but grumble as the small group made their way through the tunnels beneath Redcliff – they’d left Leliana, Morrigan and Sten to wait with Ser Perth at the castle gates.  It was dark, wet, and slightly claustrophobic, but at least it was a way into the castle that wouldn’t be watched.  “And _then_ he decides to go with that hag of an Orlesian into what _has_ to be a trap.  And the way she spoke to _you_ … I wanted to strangle her … or at least smack that glare off her face.”

Alistair tried to fight a smile but failed miserably.  There had never been anyone so determined to stand up for him before, except maybe Duncan.  He stayed a few steps behind, partially because the tunnel was a bit narrow and partially because Jasper seemed to be doing everything he could to keep _anyone_ from getting too close to her.  “She’s not all bad, or … she wasn’t when I was young; she was the closest thing to a mother I had here.  Though I’m fairly certain it was her idea to send me to the templars.  She never hid the fact that she believed I was Eamon’s bastard, not Maric’s.”

“Has she even _seen_ you?”  Regan stopped and turned to look at him, doing her best not to look at those lips … or his face in general.  Every time she did, she felt heat flood her cheeks and now was certainly _not_ the time to be thinking of such things.  “Once you told me, I could certainly see the similarities to you and Cailan … and Maric.  There is _nothing_ that looks even remotely like Eamon, and I cannot fathom that at age ten there would have been either.”

Alistair ducked his head, trying not to risk turning bright red again.  His dream had seemed so real … he could practically taste her on his lips even still.  What did it all mean?  “I don’t really know.  At the time, I didn’t think much of it, other than to wonder what I had done to make her hate me so ….”  He stopped talking, nearly froze in place when she rested a hand on his arm.  Sure, the armor between them made sure he didn’t _feel_ anything, but the sensations from his dream were still fresh in his mind and he just … _knew_ … how her skin felt against his.  His heart skipped a beat when he finally met her gaze.

“ _Nothing_ you could have done would have been enough to excuse how she treated you.”

“I … know that now.”  He swallowed, trying to will his complexion to remain normal just as Jasper woofed softly.  “Oh, look … a door!  I think we’re at the end.”

She turned and sprinted for the wooden door, pressed her ear up against it.  “I … hear someone on the other side.  They’re … scared?  In trouble?”  She drew her blades and motioned for him to open the door before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Coughing, Alistair shoved the door open.  He’d only been traveling with her a short while, and already he _hated_ when she did that.  He could never find her once the smoke cleared and it took forever to clear the smoke from his nostrils when she did it right next to him.  He made a mental note to talk to her about it … at some point, then turned his attention to the undead that were tormenting someone in a cell.  It was going to be a long day.

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     

“So let me get this straight.”  Regan looked around the room tiredly.  This _simple_ excursion to Redcliff had become one giant headache and it was just getting worse.  They’d run into … issues … trying to talk to the demon in the first place, and this was her apparent reward.  “The _only_ options we have are kill Isolde or kill Connor?”  She hated _both_ those ideas.  As much as Isolde was pissing her off by simply breathing, she didn’t want to take away the boy’s mother … especially since they weren’t sure they could cure Eamon.  The mage from the dungeon had been less than certain what poison was used.  On the other hand, after everything she’d seen in Highever, she _knew_ she couldn’t kill a child, even one possessed.  The look on Alistair’s face pretty much assured her that _he_ couldn’t either.  She could probably ask Sten, but ….

“You’re talking about blood magic.”  The look Alistair turned on the mage could have curdled milk.  He loathed the idea of allowing _any_ mage to use blood magic, but especially a mage that had been, even indirectly, responsible for the chaos they’d just faced … _and_ … the arl’s current state.  “How can _more_ evil be of any use here?”

Regan stepped away and started pacing, muttering to herself while the rest of the room bickered back and forth.  Jowan and Morrigan, and even Isolde, argued for allowing the sacrifice in order to save the child.  Alistair, Teagan, and Leliana were adamant against both the idea of a sacrifice, and the use of blood magic at all.  Sten pointed out that the simplest  solution was simply to kill the boy – no boy, no demon.  Maker, she didn’t know what to do.

Alistair glanced over and watched her march back and forth, her lips moving frantically … as if she were arguing with herself.  He suddenly remembered that she had lost her family, including her young nephew … who had to have been near Connor’s age … when Highever fell.  Maker’s breath, how could she be expected to make this kind of decision with that at the back of her mind.  There was magic involved … he was a former templar, for Andraste’s sake.  There should be _something_ he could do to help.    There h _ad_ to be something ….  Wait!  That was it!  “You can get lyrium … likely all the lyrium you’d need … and _trustworthy_ mages at the Circle of Magi!  We could … we could go to them for help?”

You would have thought he’d just announced that the blight was over and they could all go home with the way she spun and grinned at him.  “Alistair, I could _kiss_ you!  We’ll go to the Circle and get the mages to help.”  No one would have to die … except for maybe the mage who’d started it all, and that likely wouldn’t even be up to her.  “It’s not _too_ far, and if we leave a few people behind to help keep an eye on Connor and the rest of the castle ….”

“But ….”

Regan turned to glare at Isolde, effectively cutting off whatever protest she had been about to make.  “You all left the decision up to me, right?”  When the arlessa slowly nodded, she rolled her shoulders and tried to remember _not_ to slap the woman she may have to call on for aide … if they couldn’t help Eamon.  “ _My_ decision is to go to the Circle.  This mage’s actions have already caused enough problems; your husband is _ill_ … maybe dying … because of him.  Your son, whom you seem so worried about protecting … has summoned a demon because your new pet mage is apparently not competent enough to teach him to be _safe_ with his magic and avoid demons.”  She took a few steps forward until she was face to face with the arlessa, though she stood several inches above the older woman.  “I will _not_ allow a blood mage to kill someone … as much as you seem to _want_ me to, and as much as I might think you deserve it.  Your _son_ does not deserve to suffer the loss of either parent, and since I don’t know if we can save Eamon, I’m not about to let you die, just yet.”

She whirled around to face the mage, leaving the arlessa, Teagan, and several others staring after her in shock.  “And _you_ , Jowan.  If I find out you’ve done _anything_ further with magic … even in a misguided attempt to help … I will gut you where you stand.  You will _not_ do anything until we return.  Am I clear?”  She hardly waited for him to agree before turning to look at the rest of her group.  “Leliana, you and Alistair are coming with Jasper and me.  Morrigan, I need you to stay here to make sure he doesn’t try to cast any spells.  Right now, I don’t trust him.  Sten, I need you to keep an eye on … well, the boy.  If Connor starts doing the demon thing again, subdue him.  Do _not_ kill him unless there is absolutely _no_ other option.  Are we clear?”

“Is … she alright?”  Teagan crept over to Alistair to whisper his question, not particularly wanting to anger the young woman further.  He’d never seen her quite so … agitated.

“I … think so?”  Alistair shrugged faintly, not really sure how to answer that.  In the short time that he’d known her, he’d never seen her quite like this.  “She … neither of us really got much rest last night, what with all the fighting.  She’s probably hungry too.  You didn’t give us much of a chance to recuperate before asking us to infiltrate the castle, after all.”  He sighed and took a breath; he needed to get ready to head out with her.  “And remember, she just lost her family.  You think any of this is easy on her?”  He didn’t wait to hear Teagan’s response, joining Jasper and Leliana as they followed her out the door.


End file.
